Baywatch
Member
- First Name
- Michael WRQD216
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2020
- Threads
- 4
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 21
- Location
- Redmond WA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Gladiator Rubicon
- Thread starter
- #1
Recently installed the Midland MXT275 Micro Mobile 15W GMRS radio in my JT.
I also purchased the Midland microphone cable extension, 6db external antenna with the 6m cable. I already had an antenna bracket, you’ll need that too. Got a 12V JL/JT power tap from Amazon.
why this radio? First of all it’s very compact. A headless design means you can stash it anywhere you can run cable to, since it is fully operated from the microphone.
how stealth? It turns out that the 2020 JT has a secret spot high above and to left of the brake pedal. The radio with the mount tucks right in behind the metal dash support. You can see the radio speaker peeking out behind the light…
a perfect fit - all I did was wrap the radio and the mount with some fuzzy side stickon Velcro to snug it up. Radio is facing down, with the speaker side out. 12V power comes from a JL/JT tap kit, available from Amazon. I ran the power line through the driver side dash.
I mounted the antenna high on my roof rack, and ran the cable to enter the cab through the driver side back seat floorboard drain plug. Drilled a 1/4” hole through the drain plug to bring the cable through, and ran it up under the carpet and interior running board cover to the radio.
The mic mount is not sticky enough, so I took it apart and riveted the back to the dash panel and reassembled it. This makes a solid off-road mounting. I did this when I was installing the 12V power tap and had the center dash opened up.
I ran the mic extension cable under the carpet along the driver side firewall, and was able to find enough room to store the excess behind the panel directly below the radio. The mic cord is tucked under the right side dash panel.
The final install. Nice and clean, radio completely out of the way. About as minimal as one can get.
UPDATE: 5/15/2022
In testing my signal, another operator let me know that my transmission had a noticeable alternator hum while the engine was running. To eliminate this RF interference, I added a grounded 10amp noise suppressor on the 12V tap side of the power line and ceramic magnet choke on the radio side of the power line. This fixed the issue completely.
I used Pipeman's IS-NR12 noise filter, and 1/2" ID clamp-on ferrite choke, both avail on Amazon.
I spliced the filter into the positive circuit (red) of the 12V power tap line per the filter wiring diagram. The red filter wire connects to the 12V tap source (battery) side and the blue filter wire connects to the load (radio) side. I soldered the splice for a good connection. The black filter wire connects to ground, I attached this to the foot well carpet holder bracket on the driver's side center console which is directly connected to the chassis.
I ran the radio side of the power cable under the steering wheel and wrapped it five turns around the ferrite choke as close to the radio as I could get (the impedance - noise filtering strength - goes up by the square of the number of wraps) . You can learn more about chokes and RFI here:
.
Super pleased with the end result - this little 15W radio easily transmits over 15 miles line of sight using the 6db external antenna, and the new RFI filters completely cleaned up my signal.
I also purchased the Midland microphone cable extension, 6db external antenna with the 6m cable. I already had an antenna bracket, you’ll need that too. Got a 12V JL/JT power tap from Amazon.
why this radio? First of all it’s very compact. A headless design means you can stash it anywhere you can run cable to, since it is fully operated from the microphone.
how stealth? It turns out that the 2020 JT has a secret spot high above and to left of the brake pedal. The radio with the mount tucks right in behind the metal dash support. You can see the radio speaker peeking out behind the light…
a perfect fit - all I did was wrap the radio and the mount with some fuzzy side stickon Velcro to snug it up. Radio is facing down, with the speaker side out. 12V power comes from a JL/JT tap kit, available from Amazon. I ran the power line through the driver side dash.
I mounted the antenna high on my roof rack, and ran the cable to enter the cab through the driver side back seat floorboard drain plug. Drilled a 1/4” hole through the drain plug to bring the cable through, and ran it up under the carpet and interior running board cover to the radio.
The mic mount is not sticky enough, so I took it apart and riveted the back to the dash panel and reassembled it. This makes a solid off-road mounting. I did this when I was installing the 12V power tap and had the center dash opened up.
I ran the mic extension cable under the carpet along the driver side firewall, and was able to find enough room to store the excess behind the panel directly below the radio. The mic cord is tucked under the right side dash panel.
The final install. Nice and clean, radio completely out of the way. About as minimal as one can get.
UPDATE: 5/15/2022
In testing my signal, another operator let me know that my transmission had a noticeable alternator hum while the engine was running. To eliminate this RF interference, I added a grounded 10amp noise suppressor on the 12V tap side of the power line and ceramic magnet choke on the radio side of the power line. This fixed the issue completely.
I used Pipeman's IS-NR12 noise filter, and 1/2" ID clamp-on ferrite choke, both avail on Amazon.
I spliced the filter into the positive circuit (red) of the 12V power tap line per the filter wiring diagram. The red filter wire connects to the 12V tap source (battery) side and the blue filter wire connects to the load (radio) side. I soldered the splice for a good connection. The black filter wire connects to ground, I attached this to the foot well carpet holder bracket on the driver's side center console which is directly connected to the chassis.
I ran the radio side of the power cable under the steering wheel and wrapped it five turns around the ferrite choke as close to the radio as I could get (the impedance - noise filtering strength - goes up by the square of the number of wraps) . You can learn more about chokes and RFI here:
.
Super pleased with the end result - this little 15W radio easily transmits over 15 miles line of sight using the 6db external antenna, and the new RFI filters completely cleaned up my signal.
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